Mazatlán Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Cultural Festival

Posted by Maureen Dietrich on 28 Sep 13

mazmessenger.com

Director of Cultura Raúl Rico introduced this year’s program which begins October 7, ending December 18.

In 1993, the first Mazatlán Cultural Festival was organized in response to the cessation of the Sinaloa Cultural Festival in 1987 on the orders of then Governor Renato Vega Alvarado.

The late Ricardo Urquijo, founder of the annual Mazatlán arts event, took up the reins in 1993 when local artists and the Mazatlán community expressed their desire to reinvigorate cultural events in the city. This year, the cultural festival celebrates its 20^th anniversary.

At a press conference yesterday, director of Cultura Raúl Rico introduced this year’s program which begins October 7, ending December 18.  Eighty-six events are planned involving 1,800 artists from five countries: Cuba, United States, Russia, Japan and Mexico.

For dance enthusiasts, the Russian State Ballet Mari El will perform “Don Quijote” on October 7.  Mazatlán’s internationally acclaimed Delfos Contemporary Dance Company will present “Vitril, Viaje Imaginario” on November 19 and 20, and on November 30San Francisco´s Flamenco Theater will perform “Flamenco en Movimiento.”

In celebration of 400 years of cultural and commercial ties between Mexico and Japan, the Japanese contemporary dance troupe Mai Sho Gaku will perform at the Angela Peralta Theater on December 5 showcasing dance, music and Japanese culture.

Also in December, the Companía Nacional de Danza will perform a ballet gala on the 6^th and 7^th. And finally, on December 12 and 13 the popular annual presentation of “The Nutcracker Suite” will be presented by the Municipal School of Ballet and invited soloists.

Music fans will be treated to a concert by the symphony orchestra celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the birth of British composer Benjamin Britten on October 31, a performance of Faure´s “Requiem” by the Mazatlán Camarata and Angela Peralta Choral on November 1, and the opera “Pagliacci” conducted by Enrique Patrón de Rueda December 7 and 8.

Other highlighted performances this year include an homage to the Bee Gees (November 22 and 23), a concert by María del Sol (December 14) and the annual Christmas Gala music and dance night with the Angela Peralta Choral and Mazatlán Camarata on December 17 and 18.

For a full program schedule of the 2013 Mazatlán Cultural Festival, visit the Instituto de Cultura, Turismo y Arte de Mazatlán website at www.culturamazatlan.com.

(from Noroeste)